On October 30, 2009, President Obama announced the elimination of the HIV entry ban at the signing of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009. The President stated that on November 2, 2009, his Administration would issue a final rule to repeal the ban.

On November 2, 2009, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, amended its regulations to remove “Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection” from the definition of communicable disease of public health significance and remove references to “HIV” from the scope of examinations for aliens. Prior to this final rule, aliens with HIV infection were considered to have a communicable disease of public health significance and were thus inadmissible to the United States per the Immigration and Nationality Act.

While HIV infection is a serious health condition, it is not a communicable disease that is a significant public health risk for introduction, transmission, and spread to the U.S. population through casual contact. As a result of this final rule, aliens will no longer be inadmissible into the United States based solely on the ground they are infected with HIV, and they will not be required to undergo HIV testing as part of the required medical examination for U.S. immigration.

The final rule is effective on January 4, 2010.